


Nothing Quite like the Sea, and You Next to Me

by Introvertedintellect350



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan Fluff, Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan Smut, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gets very explicitly smutty tho, Long One Shot, One Shot, POV Emma, Shameless Smut, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, if you wanna be happy read this, this is literal fluff and only fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 08:45:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16740778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introvertedintellect350/pseuds/Introvertedintellect350
Summary: If you're looking for some feel-good fluff and smut CS, you've come to the right place.Enjoy this fluff-and-smut filled weekend in which Killian decides that Emma needs a break from all things Savior, and takes her on a cruise on the Jolly Roger to relax and enjoy time with his girlfriend. (This is written from Emma's POV, yet the summary seems like it would be from Killian's. Sorry for any confusion caused!) Placed before the ending of season 6.





	Nothing Quite like the Sea, and You Next to Me

**Author's Note:**

> Can you believe it took me 2 years to get around to finish writing this fic? I hope this is actually something worth reading, cuz it's the longest one-shot I believe I've ever written.

It was the early morning, a calm Friday, when Emma and Killian were sitting at the kitchen table enjoying the silence and the warm sunlight that shone into the window as it rose. Emma sipped her cocoa and watched Killian's facial expressions as he read the Storybrooke Times. His face was peaceful at the moment as he munched quietly on a slice of toast, his bare wrist turning the page with a minimal degree of difficulty. He hadn’t yet put on his brace and hook. She watched closely as his eyebrows furrowed slightly closer together and his head dipped closer to the page in concentration, his eyes flicking across the lines of text. Crumbs from his toast were scattered around his lips and she fought the urge to brush them away, instead taking another sip of cocoa and continuing to watch. His face was something she could stare at all day and never tire of, his vivid blue eyes brought out with black eyeliner (although he used less of it these days), his soft smirk that captured her own in a way no other had, the creases between his eyebrows whenever he stared in concentration, like now. He was a beautiful, handsome man. 

Emma's eyes darted up as Henry walked down the stairs, dressed and with a smile on his face. "You're up early, kid; school doesn't start for another hour and a half!" She greeted, standing up as he walked into the kitchen. Killian too, looked up and smiled at Henry, brushing away the crumbs of bread as he did so. 

"I know, I'm meeting Violet at Granny's for breakfast. That's okay, right?" Henry answered, looking vaguely apprehensive for a moment before the smile bounced back onto his lips. 

She could see it was difficult for Henry to keep the smile off his face or the excitement out of his voice, and nodded. "Sure, just don't be late for school and don't forget your lunch," Emma turned and grabbed a paper bag she had packed with a sandwich and a drink, then handed it to Henry who stuffed it in his backpack. 

"Thanks. Bye, Mom! Bye, Killian!" He called as he turned to walk out the door, giving them another bright smile. 

"See you later, kid!"

"Bye, lad!"

And then the house was silent again, and all of a sudden a realization hit her like a wall: Henry was going to grow up and get married without her. She wasn’t going to get to see him wait for his love at the end of the aisle, smiling nervously; she wasn’t going to be a grandmother; she wasn’t even going to be there when he- then just like that her hand began trembling and she was plunged into a dark Main Street, fighting for her life and losing to a stranger in a cloak. In front of her family. In front of Henry. She whirled around, clashing swords with the hooded figure, fighting until she couldn’t anymore and the sword was pushed from her grasp and another was pushed through her abdomen, red jeweled hilt glinting. Somewhere, far away, a voice was calling her name. Pain exploded everywhere and she couldn’t do anything but look down at the sword that was going to kill her -

"Emma!" It was Killian's worried voice that brought her back from her vision of her own death. "Emma, love, what happened? You just saw your boy walk out the door happy as could be! Nothing's wrong," He was crouched beside her, as she had fallen to her knees. 

She looked up; heart still racing and stomach tumbling in fear, "That's the problem! Nothing's wrong right now, but what about when I-" 

"If," he corrected.

"What about if I die? What'll happen to Henry if I'm gone soon? He's still growing up and I'm still his mother and there's so much more I still need to do with hi-" 

Killian shushed her, clasping her hand gently but comfortingly firm, so it couldn't tremble, and spoke reassuringly. "Hey, hey, you're not going to die. I won't let that happen. And I can assure you, it's not fun when you do, so if at all possible let's not let that happen. Henry will continue to grow with you by his side, I promise; and you're the Savior. You've got an adoring family who will literally go to Hell and back to help you, and you've got me. I'm not about to let you die, so try to relax. You're the product of True Love, it's going to take a lot more than some dream to kill you." He took a breath and looked down at her hand for a moment, then steadily back up at her, "I'll keep you safe, Swan, so you can watch Henry grow up into the fine young lad he's becoming." 

"Promise?" Her heart was still beating rapidly, and though held tightly, her hand still felt as though it was trembling uncontrollably. She needed to calm down, and both of them knew it. Panicking wasn't going to help anything. If only she could just get a day off to relax without having to worry about someone's impending death or curse; including her own. 

"I swear on my life," Killian promised solemnly. They were both silent for a few long seconds, Emma catching her breath and trying to relax, Killian being her steady support. Then he broke the silence, seeming to read her mind. "I always find that a good place to clear my head is out in the open sea on the decks of the _Jolly Roger_. Perhaps you and I escaping for a few days would help? You can come back level-headed and ready to best whatever beast Evil Queen has set after us." A slow smile formed on his lips and for a moment she found herself staring. 

It didn't sound like such a bad idea - in fact she could think of nothing better than getting to spend the weekend with Killian Jones and no one else to interrupt them - but she had to think about the rest of her family. "But what about Henry? And my parents, and Regina? What if something happens and I'm not there to help?" 

"Your boy can stay either with his other mother or his grandparents, he'll be safe either way. I'll grant you that yes, something may happen while we're away, but I highly doubt the world's going to explode in two days’ time. They can handle being without Emma Swan for a little while. I'd like some time with her to myself for a change. What do you say, Swan? We can leave tonight, if you're willing." 

A smile was forming unbidden on her face as she thought about how wonderful it would be to escape the worries of Storybrooke for a while. Maybe it would really help her...."Alright, let me go talk to Mary Margaret and David about keeping Henry for the weekend." 

The slow smile that had been gradually growing on Killian's face suddenly grew full and joyous and he pulled her in for a kiss that dissolved into laughter and nose bumps. "You'll get many more of those later, m'lady," he promised in a low sultry voice. 

"I should hope so," Emma replied, feeling happier already and less terrified than she had been a minute ago. "Now come on, let me go call my parents." 

She was let go reluctantly and with another not-so-chaste kiss, she went to go find her phone and begin packing. The phone rang in her ear as Emma pulled her suitcase out from under their bed and pulled open a drawer. 

"Hello Emma, you're up early." Mary Margaret answered, and she could hear the smile in her mother’s voice. 

"Hey, Mom, I have a favor to ask..."

It didn't take much convincing to get her and David to watch Henry for the weekend while she and Killian took the Jolly Roger out for the weekend. Her mother was overjoyed she and him were planning a trip for themselves, proclaiming in a knowing tone that it was about time. Mary Margaret would pick him up from school and let him know what was going on. Emma was told to have fun, and then abruptly hung up because it was time to wake David up so he could do his usual morning routine and spend time with Neal. 

While she was on the phone with Mary Margaret, Killian had left to go get his ship ready to sail. He left her a note that was sitting on the kitchen table saying that she should pick up some food for the trip and extra blankets. He signed the note with a flourishing _Love, Killian_. Emma smiled and picked it up, intending to keep the note pressed in between the pages of a book. Once she had done so, she got dressed and headed to the store to pick up the things they needed. 

~•~•~•~

It was around five thirty when Emma got the chance to talk to Henry, although she was sure he wasn't worried about her leaving for a few days. He was so preoccupied with Violet that few other thoughts bothered him now. He did however, react when she told him that he would be staying at Mary Margaret and David's for the weekend, and gave her a tight hug goodbye. 

"See you in a couple days, Mom, have a good time with Hook." Henry said, stepping away and smiling at her and then Killian. 

"See you in a couple days, Henry," Emma smiled back at him and turned to her parents, giving them each a hug and wiggling her fingers goodbye at her brother, who gurgled happily back at her. 

"Ready?" She asked Killian as she stepped towards him. He nodded to her and then the Charming’s, and opened the door of their apartment. 

"Take good care of my daughter, Hook," David warned with a light tone and teasing grin that held a small note of actual warning. 

"Aye, mate, I'll protect her with my life. Not that she needs much protecting," he winked at her and David shook his head whilst Mary Margaret ushered them out the door. They decided to walk to the docks, instead of magically appearing there, since the sun was still above the horizon just enough to bless them with a gorgeous sunset in a beautiful array of colors. 

"Right, first order of business is to get her out on the water. Willing to help a man out, Swan?" Killian announced once they boarded the ship and untied it from the dock. He was as happy as could be, humming a song she didn't recognize as he began to untie some ropes and tie up others. She didn't really have a clue as to what she could do to help, but agreed anyway, wanting to get out of the docks and away from town.

He directed her to every knot in the ropes he wanted her to untie to unfurl the sails and let them catch the wind, and she caught on eventually, though was nowhere near as swift as he was. They were soon done, the sails fully unfurled and billowing in the slight breeze, carrying them away from the docks and towards the open sea. Emma simply stood and admired Killian as he began to steer the ship in the direction of the setting sun, smiling widely at him every time he glanced down at her. It didn't take him long to set the course, and soon he was standing with her at the bow watching the sun finish setting below the water. It turned the water to fire, orange and reds rippling over the surface until it slowly began receding with the sun. It was breathtaking, the enormity and serenity of it all. Emma felt the tension in her shoulders leave her, and leaned into Killian's shoulder with a soft sigh. 

"Quite the view isn't it, Swan," he said quietly, not needing to speak louder for fear of disturbing the peace. 

"Never seen anything like it," She replied equally as soft-spoken, her eyes still fixed on the waves of endless water. It was the truth, she'd never been on a ship while the sun was calmly setting. She'd been on this ship during the worst storm of her life, but never while it was so serene. "How many of these have you seen in your two-hundred years?" She teased lightly, glancing up at him with a grin. 

Killian smiled at her in his lopsided way, "I've seen many a sunset like this, where the water seems to breathe fire like a dragon, never ending in its beauty; but I've yet to see one with you in it. I’d like to count this one as my favorite," his eyes reflected the dance of the bright water, casting a golden glow to his normally blue eyes. His gaze lingered on the water, and Emma took that moment to lean in and kiss him, her arms already around him. It didn't take him long to lean into her eagerly, and they were both left breathless when she finally pulled away for air. She smiled as their foreheads rested together, the sun having finally dipped below the horizon and leaving them in approaching darkness and dark blackish blue waters below. 

"What do you say to you dropping the anchor while I get us some dinner?" She asked, regaining her breath and straightening, still smiling. 

"I would never turn down the offer of some food, just so long as I'm promised more of...you, later this evening." His smirk widened as his fingers ran teasingly up her abdomen. 

"Easy, tiger, we've got two more days out here, just us, I'm not going anywhere." She replied, not adverse to the idea of making love on every inch of the ship with Killian. But she also was hoping to get to just relax and watch the stars, as well. Who was to say they couldn't do both? Certainly not her, and most definitely not Killian. 

"And I plan on taking full advantage of every second of it, my love." He leaned in to kiss her thoroughly again, before leaving her to put the anchor down, her entire body thrumming with excitement. She watched him for a minute, then wakes below decks to get dinner. She'd just planned a picnic for tonight, so that they could watch the stars. 

Once setting down a blanket, Emma set down a picnic basket full of sandwiches and champagne, knowing full well that he would pull out something stronger later. She sat cross legged on the blanket and leaned back on her hands, closing her eyes for a few moments. There was a light breeze that swished her hair around and swirled the scent of the sea that comforting and enveloping. Taking a deep breath in, Emma opened her eyes to find Killian sitting beside her, watching her with a small smile. 

"I can see why you like it out here so much." She said, returning his smile. 

"Indeed, love. The open sea is a wonderful place to lose your worries. Save for the occasional storm," he added, tilting his head slightly. They were silent for a moment, the gentle rocking motion of the ship reminding her that they had glasses of champagne balancing on the picnic basket. 

"Let's hope nothing goes terribly wrong while we're out here." She picked up her glass and Killian followed suit, clinking them together lightly before taking a sip. 

"I'll drink to that," he agreed, setting his glass down. "I'll also eat to that; this spread looks delicious Swan." 

She smiled, handing him a sandwich that she had prepared at home hours earlier. "I just hope it tastes as good as it looks" 

"If your mother is any indication of how well your family can cook, I am faithful that this will indeed taste sublime." 

A blush rose to her cheeks and she picked up her own sandwich, unwrapping it. "It's prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella with a hint of homemade pesto aioli, David's recipe." Emma explained, taking a bite. Killian had already taken two or three large bites of his own sandwich, evidently enjoying it quite a bit. "I'm glad I made more than one," she laughed while taking another sip of champagne. 

"I've never heard of any of those things except for Dave," he smirked, finishing off his first sandwich and reaching for his second. She watched him over the rim of her glass, draining its contents and pouring herself some more. 

"You should taste his pancakes. He really wants me to make some for you," Emma added. 

"Well, love, I just so happen to have a stovetop and a griddle. Perhaps we can make some in the morning." 

"Sure," she agreed easily, taking another bite of the sandwich. "But only if you promise to show me some constellations with your sextant that I've heard Henry talk about. But....maybe not tonight," she grinned and set down her sandwich to run her fingers tauntingly through Killian's chest hair and up his neck, tugging at the hair at the nape of his neck. "Tonight I want to finish what we started before that blimp with the people from the Land of Untold Stories ruined it." 

Killian's smirk widened and he too set down his sandwich to pull her in for a quick and promising kiss, nipping at her lips in a way that made her groan. "Your heart’s desire Swan, that's all I want."

She leaned back a few inches, one hand reaching back for her glass of champagne. Two glasses was just enough to make her buzzed, to make her feel everything tenfold and laugh easier, her self-control slipping down just enough to let her have as much fun as she wanted. She brought it up to her lips and finished it in one swallow, then leaned back further to begin wrapping up the remains of their dinner. Killian leaned forward after a second and helped, using his hook to open the lid of the picnic basket while reaching for the re-wrapped half-finished sandwich she had just finished wrapping up.

It was all packed up within a minute, and Emma stood to put it back below decks in his storage room, then the second she put it away, she was whirled around and picked up, Killian's strong arms lifting her against him. She gasped his name, swinging her legs around his hips instinctively and groaning as he pushed her against the wall and kissed her with a passion she'd only seen (or rather, felt. She'd seen this passion lots of times, he had just never been able to act on it) a precious few times.

"I'm done waiting," he growled lustily as his mouth snaked hungrily down her throat, sucking her pulse point hard enough to leave a mark. Her two-drinks-fuzzy mind spun quickly towards the one thought that had been on her mind all day. Sex. Or, more specifically, sex with Killian Jones anywhere on his ship away from everyone's prying eyes except for the man who was pushing her against a wall and kissing her like there was no tomorrow. And, in this moment, she believed it - and wanted nothing else. 

Emma's head tilted back as his lips brushed tauntingly along the skin just above the line of her tank top, causing goosebumps to rise up. His teeth tugged at her shirt while her legs squeezed tighter around his waist and tugged her fingers through his tousled hair. After another few moments tugging, Killian lifted his head and looked up at her. 

“Why’d you stop?” She asked, loosening her grip on his hair. 

A sly smirk slipped onto his face and she felt the cool metal of his hook tug the hem of her tank top. “Because, love, if we’re going to do this, I want to do it right.” 

Her brow arched curiously, “And what is the right way of doing this, Killian?” She tensed her legs, pushing against his now very prominent bulge underneath his pants and leaned closer. 

His breath hitched when she increased pressure, but his gaze never wavered. “My quarters, I have a bed and intend to use it.” He was still smirking, “With you on your back, none of our clothing on, and finishing what we’ve started here.” 

She hummed her agreement and dropped her hands from his hair to her shirt, pulling it up and over her head in one smooth move. She unwound herself from his waist and stood on mildly unsteady legs, “Your turn, Captain,” She nodded. 

The first thing to go from Killian was his shirt as well – although he’d only just gotten it off before Emma pulled him against her once again, fingers looped through the belt loops of his pants to tug him in for a deep kiss that had her squirming in his grasp when his fingers began nimbly undoing the zipper and buttons of her jeans and sliding over the thin material of her soaking wet panties in a not-so-subtle way of telling her to take them off. “Ok-okay,” She stuttered, reluctantly pulling away from his teasing fingers and lustful mouth ( _damn_ he could tease). Once she’d shed her jeans and was left in nothing but her bra and underwear, Emma grinned up at him and walked away. “Come get me tiger; without those leather pants.”

“Swan, where are you going?” She heard him call after her, along with the sound of leather being pulled off and tossed away.

Without looking over her shoulder, Emma replied loftily, “Where you said we would do this right,” She glanced into each room along the below-decks corridor and at the end of the hallway, found his room. Or, captain’s quarters, as she supposed they were rightfully called. 

She opened the door and walked in, hips swaying with the rhythm of the ship while she looked around. She’d been in here exactly one time, with a past Killian, when they were in the past mending her parents meeting and ended up with two Killian’s in one place. One drunk from the past, kissing her exactly the way she had been kissed only a few moments ago; and one sober, eager to fight his past self and kiss Emma just that way. Now he had that and more. 

Without warning, Emma felt arms slide around her from behind and a flash of fear spiked through her before she realized it was Killian, now leaning down to kiss her neck. He cradled her close, lips tugging at her skin and fingers teasing until her knees went weak. " _Killian_ ," she groaned, turning around in his arms and kissing him properly, gasping as he began to grind against her throbbing clit. Together they turned and fell back onto his bed without opening their eyes and he reached to pull off his boxers. Emma copied his actions and with a final tug, all of their clothes were on the floor. Soon they were skin to skin, his lips on hers, desperate; his fingers in her hair, his elbows resting beside her head; the rest of his body lying atop hers, rubbing against her in such a way that made her beg for more between kisses. Her legs were spread, her core throbbing and wet, and she groaned again when he finally sank deep into her, thrusting slowly in and out.

Her fingers pressed into his back, which was becoming slick with sweat as she moaned his name into his mouth, his lips devouring hers, teeth now bruising her skin as he began to thrust faster. With each thrust she gasped, the feeling of him filling her entirely was the most blissful experience, the way he pressed against her, pushing her into the bed. She let him push faster and faster until they were both moaning in sync, the bed sheets shifting beneath them. Together they rose to a climax, Killian obeying her moans of, "Yes, yes- harder!" Until she came, warmth and euphoria flooding her body. She shuddered, gasping as she came down from her climax to be met with his orgasm soon after hers.

Their bodies wound together naturally when Killian finally fell beside her, both of them too exhausted to consider cleaning up yet. Emma's legs tangled in his and they exchanged sweaty, gasping kisses, until Killian pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. "I've waited a bloody long time for that."

"You don't think I've waited just as long?" She replied, arching her eyebrow and smiling.

"Oh of course not, love." He kissed her lightly before continued in a whisper. "I hope you know I intend to do this again as soon as possible."

She found a giggle bursting its way out of her, her fingers dancing up and down his back, finally coming to rest on his cheek where her forefinger and thumb fiddled with his earring. "I was hoping you'd say that, because I do too." She paused, "Have I ever told you that you're a hell of a good kisser?"

"I don't believe you have; although the way you kiss me gives me a fairly good inkling as to how much you love my kisses . . . and me." He added almost as an afterthought, his signature lopsided smile growing on his lips before they were once again pressed tenderly against hers. It was the purest kiss, one born of attraction, trust, acceptance, and finally, love. She loved Killian Jones and finally, _finally_ , wasn't afraid to admit it. There were things about herself she would keep in the dark, but this was not one of them. Maybe it was the alcohol going to her head and the euphoria of finally having had the best and longest awaited sex ever, but Emma suddenly wanted to scream her love for him at the top of the world. She wouldn't do that, of course, but it was a great idea.

"Swan," Killian mumbled, leaning back a few inches to whisper, "You're smiling so hard it's difficult to kiss you."

"Sorry," she whispered, her smile growing as she looked at him. "I'm just happy, 's all."

He smiled and bumped his nose to hers, "So am I, love,"

Emma hummed softly and closed her eyes. The gentle rocking of the ship was quickly putting her to sleep; as was Killian's softly whispered words in her ear. "What are you singing?" She asked after a minute, cracking her eyes open.

"Not singing, simply whispering." He replied. "It's a poem I heard years ago from one of my journeys:  
'I believe  
The ocean  
Once belonged  
To the moon,  
And that it fell,  
Falling into  
The earth.

That is why  
The moon  
Is consistently  
Pulling onto it,  
Ceaselessly  
Trying to  
Touch it  
Once more.'

It's how I feel about you, Emma. Since our very first kiss in Neverland, I have wanted nothing more than to love you as you deserve to be loved. To hold you, to touch you, to see you smile at my words," his lips quirked up in a flash of a smile, "I am the ocean and you are the moon drawing me back to you."

She was blinking back tears now, and snuggled her face into the crook of her neck to hide them. "I love you, Killian," Emma whispered, overwhelmed.

"I love you too, Emma," came Killian's whispered reply to her, just before she drifted off to sleep, her lips pursed against his collarbone and her body feeling safe and warm cradled against his.

~•~•~•~

The morning sun struck her face and she squinted her eyes closed tighter against them, not yet roused into full consciousness. She floated peacefully between sleep and wakefulness, doused in sunshine and lying on a bed of clouds until gentle persistent kisses roused her eyes open. She saw an out of focus Killian making his way up her body with kisses, his two-day stubble gently scratching her skin. His lips were warm and soft as they began leading their way up her stomach and between her breasts, then along her neck until they reached her lips. She was fully awake by the time he had gotten to kiss her properly, so she returned his kiss with the tender adoration that he'd been giving her.

"Good morning, love," he breathed after a long minute, his morning breath washing over her face. She smiled up at him, tugging piece of hair down between his eyes and letting it bounce back up.

"Good morning,"

"Is there anything you particularly want to do on this fine morning?" He asked, smiling happily at her.

"Hmm, well I do remember you saying something about pancakes last night?" She said, fingers continuing to fiddle with his hair. It was mussed up from sleep and her running her hands through it, and she thought it looked even better than it did styled. "But that sounds like way too much work," she mumbled, reaching up and pulling his lips down to hers once again.

It took them twenty more minutes to get out of bed, and when Emma finally pushed Killian off her reluctantly, she picked up his discarded night-shirt and slipped it over her head.

"How's this for breakfast?" She turned around and magicked a plate of Pop-tarts into her hand with a grin.

Killian's expression, which had been smirking appreciatively as she dressed in his shirt, fell in disappointment and faded into a grimace. "That's what Henry was eating a while back, wasn't it?"

She laughed and nodded, "Yes, he loves them. You should try one sometime - they're not _that_ bad," she waved the plate closer to him, laughing harder yet at the disgusted look on his face. "Just kidding, we can make pancakes."

"Oh thank the Gods. Swan, you had me worried," his face returned to a look of smooth appreciation and he looked around the cabin. He was not yet dressed, though as she picked up a Pop-tart to take a bite, she watched him pick up his boxers off of the floor and slip them up over his hips. It was rather warm in the cabin, so not wearing much clothing was an attractive option in more ways than one.

"So," Emma began through a bite of the pastry and leaning a hip against the edge of the table centered in the room, "What have you got in the way of pancake ingredients?"

"Well, love, thanks to your excellent packing of my pantry," he stepped forward and around her, dragging a finger along her chin lightly before opening up a drawer under the bed, "We have flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in here. Then milk, eggs, vanilla, and butter in the ice box. And, curiously enough, nutmeg?" He picked up the small container for her to see, looking confused.

"It's my dad's secret ingredient," she explained, lips twitching with mirth, "he swears that you'll love them, apparently, so why not try it out this morning?"

Killian nodded thoughtfully and gathered the rest of the dry ingredients into his arms, then stood up while replying. "Can't hurt to try. I'm all for it,"

“Have you ever made pancakes before?” She asked, reaching to open the ice box and pull out the rest of the ingredients and set them on the table. 

His head tilted slightly, considering her for a moment before letting a grin take over his expression. “I have not. But,” He stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her, taking the carton of eggs from her hands and setting it on the table so he could thread the fingers of his right hand through hers, and the stump of his left hand wrapping around her waist. She smiled as she felt his chin tuck into her neck and heard him draw a breath to continue speaking. “I wouldn’t have anyone other than you, love, to teach me.” 

Emma smiled and leaned into him, enjoying the fact that she didn’t have to pull back only a few moments later for the sake of modesty around her family. She could stay in his arms for as long as she wanted to . . . until her stomach told her otherwise, letting out a loud grumble. She laughed and so did Killian, releasing her after kissing her neck and nipping her earlobe lightly. 

“I guess we should get cooking then, shouldn’t we,” She laughed, stepping towards the table. 

“Aye lass, I’ll grab the griddle.” He nodded and turned to a cabinet to get the pancake griddle ready. 

“Do you have a bowl?” Emma asked, “We need to mix the stuff together,” she glanced over her shoulder to find him already handing her a metal mixing bowl. She grabbed it and set it down, opening the flour container. 

“So what do we do first?” He asked, coming to stand beside her while the griddle warmed up on his small but functional stove-top.

“First we combine the milk, eggs, vanilla, and butter together." Emma replied, looking around for a measuring cup. Killian handed her one and she measured out the correct amount of milk. They worked smoothly together and once all the wet ingredients were combined, he made to put some flour in. She stopped him. "We have to mix up all the dry stuff together first, then we pour the dry into the wet.

He shook his head with a slight grin, "Never thought they'd be so complicated."

"They're not, once you get the hang of it." She laughed, pushing aside the bowl of wet ingredients and pulling the second empty bowl in front of her. "Now I'll take the flour,"

It wasn't long before all the ingredients were in one bowl and the griddle was hot. Emma set the bowl next to the griddle and scooped four dollops of batter into the pan in equal proportions.

"Now what?" Killian asked.

"Now, we set a timer for a few minutes and flip them, let them cook another few minutes, then they're done!" She smiled at him and was graced with a smile on reply.

"I will say, love, it smells divine in here."

"Just wait till you taste them, you're going to want to leave me and go find David." Emma teased, laughter bubbling up.

Killian chuckled, shaking his head and wrapping one arm around her waist. "Dave may be one of my best mates and a fine cook, but /you/ are my one and only true love."

Her laughter died away and the feeling was replaced with a strong rush of affection for the man pulling her gently into his arms and dipping his head for a kiss. She leaned eagerly into him, grateful to kiss him every chance she got. It was difficult, being around the rest of her family most of the time and wanting to show her love for Killian.

All too soon the timer she'd set on her phone rang and she pulled away from him to flip the pancakes. They were a lovely golden brown on one side and she couldn't wait to taste them. Most of all, though, she couldn't wait for him to taste them. His first pancake breakfast and she was the one to show him the delicious food.

"Killian, could you get the syrup out of the fridge?" She asked, glancing over at him. He was leaning against the edge of the table, watching her cook.

"Sure, love," he stood from the table and walked to the ice box, rummaging around for the bottle of Aunt Jemima's. Emma had made sure to get only the sweetest syrup she could find, much to Killian's chagrin.

"Now, I've had maple syrup, but what the hell is this stuff?" He asked, setting it down on the counter and looking at her expectantly.

She grinned at him, using the spatula to take the now-cooked pancakes off the griddle and onto and waiting plate. "I wanted you to have the true American childhood breakfast experience," she poured four more pancake batter circles onto the griddle and set the timer, "So that means we get to eat Aunt Jemima's syrup with our pancakes. Speaking of pancakes - here, there's a few ready."

She reached for a plate and slid two pancakes onto his, then grabbed hers and did the same. "Butter first, then syrup," she said, slathering butter onto her own steaming pancakes which smelled deliciously of nutmeg and vanilla. "So? What do you think?" Emma asked through her first bite of breakfast, watching with eyebrows slightly raised as Killian took a bite.

He chewed slowly, glancing between his plate and her. She knew him well enough to know what was going through his mind, and could see easily from his expression that he was enjoying the pancakes quite a bit. He swallowed a few seconds later and looked up at her, a boyish grin taking over his face, the likes of which she'd rarely seen. "Swan, that was the best thing I've eaten in quite some time. By all means make these pancakes any time you please."

She smiled widely at him and nodded, watching as he quickly finished off his first plate of pancakes. She ate hers a bit slower, savoring the flavor and texture of the fluffy, warm, syrupy cake. By the time the timer went off again to flip the second set of pancakes on the griddle, she was nearly done.

Twenty minutes later there was a plate piled high with pancakes, an empty batter bowl, and two very full people. Killian had eaten much more than she'd expected, and she too, had eaten more than usual.

"Well I'd say that was a success," Emma laughed, leaning back in her chair. He nodded and grinned back at her.

"Those were more than just a successful love, those pancakes have become my new favorite food."

"Good thing we have more for tomorrow morning, then," she nodded at the big plate of leftover pancakes, now cooled.

"Aye,"

They were both silent for a few moments, sitting at the table, watching the dust motes float mid-air as the sun hit them just right. Killian broke the silence first. "So, Swan, anything you fancy doing today in particular? We've got nothing but time."

She thought for a moment, letting her gaze drift around the cabin until her wandering eyes landed on his. A smile bounced onto her lips unconsciously and an idea sprang to mind. "Why don't we go swimming? How does that sound? So long as the waters not too rough."

"Today is a fine day for swimming," he said, "The skies are clear, and the water is smooth. Listen to how it slaps lazily to the side of the ships' hull, can you hear it? That's the sound of a calm ocean,"

"I guess it sounds like a plan then, which means I have to, unfortunately, change out of this very comfortable shirt of yours."

Killian shrugged and smirked, "Or you could simply take it off and wear nothing. The water's fine,"

"Oh but I think you'll have a grand time taking my bikini off later, won't you, tiger?" Emma teased seductively, enjoying her freedom to casually flirt with her boyfriend.

His smirk widened and he leaned over the table, his stump chucking her under the chin lightly while he made to kiss her. "I would love nothing more, Swan," he breathed before kissing her so thoroughly her chest was heaving some minutes later and she had moved to straddle his lap. His hand rested on her bare ass and he grinned up at her breathlessly when she finally pulled away for air. "I would also love nothing more than to continue with this, and not go swimming."

She laughed, "Fat chance. Don't worry, we _will_ continue this, just not right now." Emma stood off his lap, pecking his cheek lightly, "Let's clean up and then go change."

He grumbled good-naturedly and stood to help her clean from breakfast. Soon they were done with that and Emma crouched down to open one of the cabinets under Killian's bed to take out her swim wear. She stood and tossed his nightshirt over her head and onto the bed and then pulled on her swimsuit. Upon turning around, she found Killian changed out of his boxers and into surprisingly modern swim trunks, black and red patterned (naturally). He had put his brace on, and was securing his hook into place with a click.

She smiled at him and his smirk in reply was immediate.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Emma held out her hand to he took it, his fingers slipping casually and comfortably between hers. "I've never gone swimming in the ocean quite like this before, from a ship in the middle of nowhere."

"But I have, so trust me, love, when I say everything will be fine." Killian glanced over at her, leading the way above decks and into the full sunshine. Squinting now, Emma stepped barefoot onto the warm wooden deck of the /Jolly Roger/ and looked out at the glittering water. It looked inviting and cool, as the morning was already warm and heating up quickly.

"I trust you, but I think we forgot towels," she grinned at him and he turned to go back down to grab them. She stopped him, tugging on his hand with hers. "Hold on - I got it." She held out her free hand, palm up, and imagined their beach towels appearing. Two seconds later, they appeared and she clutched the rolled towels to her chest. "Magic can come in pretty handy, can't it?"

Killian nodded in agreement, looking vaguely surprised. She didn't use magic as often as she could, for fear of the price that came attached with nearly everything she did; but right now she was feeling particularly relaxed and worry free that she could deal with whatever consequences came later. 

Dropping the towels now, Emma strode to the port side of the deck, looking down into the water below. The sun was shining full onto this side, not yet all the way up in the sky as it was only around ten in the morning. "Do we just jump? Is there a ladder we can use later to get back up?"

He nodded, walking up beside her and pointing to the ladder attached to the side of the hull. "You see that ladder over there? That's called the pilots ladder, and we can get up easily that way."

"Good," she nodded, gazing at the ladder for a moment more, then down at the railing, stepping up onto it, smiling when she felt his arms around her waist to steady her when the ship swayed. Looking back and down at him with an excited grin, she said, "Let me go, I'm going to jump."

"Not if I jump first," he challenged, moving to step up beside her. Emma laughed and crouched, leaping forward and into the air. She fell several feet, hair lifting from her scalp and flying around her face, then with a splash she was in the water. Bubbles exploded around her and she squeezed her eyes shut, swimming upwards until her head broke the water and she took a breath just as Killian landed with an even bigger splash beside her. All the air escaped her lungs as she shrieked in surprise when she felt a hand close around her ankle and pull her down back underwater. She barely had time to take another breath and hold it before she was squinting at her pirate before her as they floated a few feet under the waves. She felt her hair lifting and floating suspended around her, and held out her hand for his, encouraging her to follow him. She turned around and gazed into the surprisingly clear depths and nearly laughed in excitement. She'd swum in the ocean before, of course, but never in water this deep or clear and perfectly cool. She wanted to go deep as she could, if only to see what the water felt and looked like deeper down. So, following the urge, she tugged on Killian and kicked behind her, aiming herself downwards.

She stopped a few moments later and looked around, then up, wishing her lungs could hold more air. Emma turned around and faced Killian, pointing upwards. He nodded and began to rise to the surface. She followed him and once they broke the surface she grinned widely and laughed, unable to contain her enthusiasm. "I've never been in the ocean when it's this deep before. I wish I had more air so we could stay under longer," Emma admitted.

"Entrancing, isn't it," he agreed. He seemed to be enjoying the water as much as she was.

"Completely," she nodded, then formed her joyful grin into a teasing, rakish one. "Ready?" Confusion flickered across his face for a brief second before she continued. "Catch me if you can!" She took a large breath and ducked back underwater, swimming down and away as quickly as she could. Killian was a much better and stronger swimmer than her and she knew he would catch her soon, but she was going to try her best to stay ahead of him, just for the fun of it. Swimming in a mixture of the butterfly with her arms and her legs kicking straight behind her, she dove quickly through the water. Soon enough, however, a hand grabbed one of hers and suddenly Killian was colliding gently with her, their legs tangling together as she struggled to get away and he fought to keep her close. Her hair now floated in front of her eyes and she tried and failed to get it out of the way with a shake of her head. She gave up and sagged comically against her boyfriend, who encircled her with his arms and led them both back to the surface as their lungs ran out of air.

"Caught you," he smirked the second their heads broke the surface.

"Only because you've had two hundred plus years of experience swimming," she teased, pushing her wet strands of hair out of her face.

"That could be part of it," he nodded slightly, still smirking crookedly. "So do I get a prize for catching you, Swan?"

"Hmm let's see...." She let her words trail off and let her body do the talking. She let her arms encircle over his shoulders and behind his head, and her legs around his waist. She had to force herself to trust him completely to keep them above water even as she purposely drove him wild.

"Oh bloody _hell_ ," he gasped, his legs treading madly to keep their heads above the rippling waves.

". . .do you want a prize for catching me?" She kept her voice low and sultry, a small knowing smile tugging at her lips. His eyes continually flickered down to her smile while she pulled herself closer yet, laughing softly when for a moment, Killian forgot to move his legs and the water swallowed them for a few seconds.

They were above the waves moments later and without speaking he pulled her close and kissed her. They sank back underwater immediately but neither of them cared. Kissing underwater was much different than being able to breathe and kiss at the same time, but it was /incredible/. They sank lower and lower as her fingers threaded into his hair and his hook pulled her head closer to his while his teeth tugged lightly on her bottom lip before meeting her lips with his in a frenzied and lusty fervor. His other hand strayed to her hip, sliding to grope her half bare ass. She had to fight the urge to groan, finding herself running out of oxygen quickly the harder she kissed and got kissed. It was with great reluctance that she pulled away and swam to the surface. They were much deeper than she'd expected and her lungs were near bursting when she finally broke the surface of the ocean and sucked in a great gulp of air. Killian popped up in front of her and grinned, arching his brow in his typical fashion.

"That was..." She began breathlessly, trailing off.

"A prize worthy of a king?" He suggested.

"I was going to say breathtaking, but it's nice to know you appreciated that." She continued wryly, grinning at her pun.

He snorted and shook his head, spraying her with water, then leaned in and kissed her cheek modestly. "You are a princess, m'lady, and you made me feel like your prince." He gave her a charming smile before leaning back and floating, chest to the sky. Emma followed suit and floated beside him, fingers wrapped comfortably around his hook so they wouldn't drift apart. They stayed like that until they were in the shadow of the /Jolly Roger/, gazing at the sky which was studded with the occasional cloud or bird.

The sun was high in the sky and it had to be nearly noon when they decided to get back on the ship. The deciding factor was that she was hungry, and Killian was nearly asleep in the water. As quietly as she could be, Emma rearranged herself in the water so she was treading water next to him, then with a wicked grin on her face, launched herself at him and let out a half laugh half strangled yell, tickling him.

Killian flailed in the water, letting out a string of curses that were drowned by water, and attempting to push her off of him until he realized just who was attacking him. Once they were both back above water, Emma fought to stay afloat and laugh so hard she couldn't breathe at the same time. He glared at her for a few seconds before joining in on her laughter.

"I didn't..." She gasped, still giggling uncontrollably, "I didn't know that you were so ticklish or so easily surprised."

"Wake a man suddenly when he's asleep, Swan, and you'll get that very same reaction every time." He replied, shaking his head. "What did you tackle me for anyway?"

"Because it's got to be nearly noon and I'm hungry," she replied, glancing up at the sky. "Plus, I'm getting a sunburn."

"Aye, your cheeks are looking rather rosy," he agreed. "Let's go have some lunch then, shall we?" Emma nodded in agreement and began paddling back towards the ship. Ever the gentleman, Killian waited for her to go up the ladder first, then followed. Once back on the sun warmed deck, she wrapped herself in a pleasantly warm towel after squeezing the excess water out of her hair and sat down cross legged on the warm wood.

Killian sat beside her and she rested her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her with a faint smile, "What's for lunch, love?"

"Hmm..." She thought for a moment, then smiled back at him. "Onion rings and a grilled cheese sounds great right about now."

"While I agree that sounds delicious, Swan, I don't believe us to be anywhere near your favorite diner." He chuckled.

"You're right, but I've always got magic to help us out there," She replied, raising her hand in preparation to wave it and create a spread of food before them. Killian stopped her with his own before she could do anything.

"I think we can manage to make a simple grilled cheese, don't you think?"

"But what about the onion rings? I don't think you happen to have a fryer on this ship, do you?"

He nodded slightly, "Alright, go ahead and magic up some onion rings, but I say we make the rest of our lunch with a griddle and some butter."

"Why don't you want me using magic?" She asked, leaning up from his shoulder so she could look at him properly.

"Magic comes with a price -" he began.

"I _know_ that, Killian," she interjected, cutting him off defensively, automatically tensing up. Of course she knew the rules of magic!

"Let me finish! Magic always comes with a price, and I don't want you to have to pay any more than you have to. I'm just trying to keep you safe." He finished, looking steadily at her.

She nodded and relaxed, realizing he was right. "You're right, I shouldn't use any more magic than I have to. Thank you for reminding me of that." She reached out from underneath her towel and took his hand, smiling slightly.

His fingers clasped around hers and he smiled back. "You're welcome. Now what do you say we go eat? You did pack cheese, right?"

Emma laughed lightly, "Of course I did," She let him lead the way back down below decks and back to his quarters, fingers entwined. She let go in order to find the cheese in the ice box while Killian searched for the bread. "It might be in the other room, where the bunks are," she supplied over her shoulder, "I didn't want too much food to take up space in here."

"Ah, good thinking," he replied distractedly, following her suggestion and walking out of the room. She reached for the block of cheddar cheese once her eyes landed on it, and straightened, closing the door.

"Now for a cheese slicer...." She muttered to herself, rooting around in a small drawer beside the stove. "Aha!" She made a noise of triumph and held up the cheese slicer, then realized Killian was standing in the doorway watching her with an amused grin and a loaf of bread in his hand. She began to laugh and shake her head, turning away to slice the cheese while he opened the loaf of bread and spread butter on one side of one slice.

They got the same griddle heated up as they'd made breakfast on, and Emma set and sandwich down on top of it with a sizzle. At once the cabin was filled with the delicious smells of butter and toasting bread, then melting cheese as things heated up. Soon there were two grilled cheeses made and sitting on a plate, and, with a nod from Killian, a heaping plate of conjured up onion rings, steaming hot.

Her stomach grumbled hungrily as she sat down and reached for a sandwich and a big handful of the fried onions. "Mmm, doesn't get any better than this," she mumbled through a mouthful of gooey cheese and crispy bread.

"That's not entirely true, love," Killian disagreed, smirking. "I've got a barrel of rum aboard this ship, waiting to be savored. Perhaps that would wash down this lunch nicely?"

She nodded, "Sure, why not! Nothing like a bit of day drinking, right?" It wasn't like she drunk that much on a normal basis anyway, so it wasn't bad to let loose every once and a while, especially not with a pirate who knew his way around rum.

"Right you are," he stood and found two shot glasses in a cabinet, then left the room for a moment and came back with two full shots of rum. "Just the thing to perfect your favorite meal." He handed her a glass then tilted his rim to hers, tapping them together lightly. "A toast,"

"To what?" She asked, happily confused.

"To happiness and a good meal with my true love." A genuine smile stretched his lips wide until they slipped around the rim of his glass. She joined him, sipping slowly. Rum was strong and she didn't drink it often, but she certainly enjoyed it when she did. Killian refilled their shot glasses twice each and they sat at the small table and talked until late into the afternoon.

When the onion rings were nothing but a bit of greasy crumbs, their plates held crumpled napkins instead of grilled cheese, and their third shot of rum each were down to the last swallow, Emma found herself yawning. The food combined with the alcohol, rather than waking her up, was putting her to sleep and she leaned her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her hands and smiling at the man sitting across from her.

"You look sleepy, Swan," Killian remarked with a small smile, copying her actions after draining his glass of the last drops of rum. "I wouldn't mind a nap myself, actually."

She hummed, yawning again and rubbing her feet along the floorboard until they met his. His feet were warm and surprisingly smooth, and when he wiggled his toes, they tickled the bottom of her feet and she laughed. Things seemed smoother and calmer and she was content. For a few more moments she simply gazed at him, a lazy smile on her face, feet placed atop his. Then she yawned yet again and said, "Care to join me in a nap?"

His smile was slow and wide and he stood and nodded simultaneously, "I would love nothing more,"

She stood with him, swaying on her feet. The rocking of the ship was very unsteadying, she realized suddenly, feeling as if the floor was going to meet her face any second. She stumbled to the bed, confused as to why the alcohol had gone to her head so quickly. Or maybe it hadn't been so quickly. Either way, she was tired and wanted nothing more than to curl up with Killian and sleep for a few hours. It wasn't until she crawled into the bed that she realized she was still only wearing her bikini, and that he was in his swim shorts. She smiled and hummed happily when Killian slid beside her and immediately reached to pull her close. His skin was warm, so warm, and his lips met her forehead so tenderly she could cry. He was so _comforting_ and his whispered "I love you"s fell on nearly deaf ears as she was already halfway asleep. She felt the brush of his fingers along her spine, his feet slipping between hers, the warmth radiating from his body, and then she was out like a light.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Some hours later, Emma rolled over and found herself nearly falling out of bed. She woke with a panicked jolt, jerking away from the edge, her eyes flashing open. Disoriented, it took her a few seconds to recognize her surroundings, but once she did, she relaxed. Looking to her left, she saw the light coming in the window wasn't bright anymore. It was gray and dark, as if a storm was rolling in. She hoped not - she knew how difficult it was to keep the ship upright without a full crew. All the same, she trusted Killian and knew that he could handle any storm. She'd seen first-hand how great of a captain he was, having been in the storm towards Neverland with him, Regina, and her parents in the worst storm of her life. If they could get through that, they could get through anything.

"Killian?" She called out, wincing at how loud her voice sounded. She felt the beginnings of a headache taking shape and swung her legs out of bed to find some Advil and a glass of water. Killian walked in a few moments later just as she was tossing back two pills and a large glass of water.

"I'm right here, love. I had to make sure the ship was all set for the storm that's rolling in." He smiled at her, nodding to the small bottle of Advil sitting on the table. "You came prepared, I see; smart thinking."

"Three shots of rum apparently makes me incredibly tired and gives me a quick headache." She laughed, setting the glass down and putting the Advil away back into the cabinet.

"It's not for everyone, but you handled it quite well." He complimented, his smile widening into a grin. He had changed from his swim trunks into a pair of tantalizingly low-hanging boxers and a loose fitting black t-shirt.

Grinning back at him and ignoring her growing headache - which she desperately hoped would go away soon - she glanced out the window at the gray clouds. "You think it'll be a big storm?" It was difficult to keep the apprehension out of her voice, though she knew there was nothing to worry about with Killian with her.

His grin faded into a comforting smile and he reached for her hand, able to hear her concern, "It doesn't seem to be. There should be nothing to worry about, love."

"Good," Emma looked up at him and stepped closer, leaning into his comforting form. The storm now pushed to the back of her mind, she recalled what had transpired this morning shortly after breakfast and smiled unconsciously. 

“What’re you smiling about?” Killian asked, his rum-scented breath washing over her and reminding her that she herself was still not entirely rid of the effects of the alcohol she had consumed hours earlier. She hoped he was as pleasantly buzzed as she.

"Oh I'm just remembering what we started this morning after breakfast. . ." She teased, allowing a giggle to bubble up and out of her mouth as she glanced from his eyes to his lips and back.

It only took him a few seconds to catch on, then a slow smile stretched across his face and his eyebrows arched attractively. "Is that so? Well I recall it starting something like this," he replied seductively, tilting her chin up with his free hook and leaning down to catch her lips with his ever so tenderly. She melted into his kiss, legs going weak. He mumbled incoherently against her mouth and she pulled away a fraction of an inch to ask what he had said.

"I said, love, that we should sit down before you fall over."

"Oh, yeah probably," she chuckled lightly. She let him lead her towards the bed, where he sat down on the edge and gave her an inviting smirk. She took the invitation eagerly and wound her legs around his waist, settling herself as close to him as she could and leaning in to kiss him again while grinding slowly against him. It wasn't long before she could feel his erection lifting between her legs and a low rumble of want in his chest. He would gasp her name every few moments, and in response, she would rub her now wet and throbbing vagina along him.

" _Gods, Emma,_ " Killian moaned, jerking against her and biting at her lips, his hand grabbing at her ass. She gasped and arched her back, ready to strip bare and let him take her any way he wanted, knowing full well he wouldn't complain. Together they leaned back on the bed, she above him, pelvis still grinding hard against his now rock hard erection. Her swim suit bottoms were now soaked and she reached back to take them off until Killian stopped her. "Let me," his eyes met hers for a few seconds, then all of a sudden she was being pushed over and now her back was pressed into the bed and he was looking down at her with a satisfied smile.

He stood for a few moments, shedding his shirt and tossing it to the floor; then holding himself aloft over her body and lowering himself slowly until they were pressed together once again. He drew his body along hers, eliciting a low groan from her lips until his met hers fiercely and his hand slid up into her hair while her hands made to push his boxers off. Without warning, he began kissing down along her jaw and neck. He left marks on her skin, claiming her as his while his hand and hook slid her bikini bottoms off. His kisses trailed down her entire body, making her shiver with desire and beg for more.

She shuddered and tensed up when his lips met her clit, then his tongue, then he swirled it expertly around while his fingers slipped inside her. " _Killian_ \- ohh, oh yes!" Emma moaned, spreading her legs further and writhing against him as his fingers slid out and his tongue slipped in all the while applying stimulation to her clit. She couldn't control the way her body reacted, shuddering and her back arching and low groaning, her hand reaching down to push his head harder into her. It was overwhelming, the intense pleasure his tongue and fingers were giving her, and she came within the next few minutes. While she came, letting out loud moans, Killian moved his fingers faster and his tongue and lips harder. He ate her out into a haze of pleasure from which she never wanted to come back.

He stopped some minutes later and looked up at her, both of them breathing heavily. "How was that, love?"

"Oh. . ." Emma let her head fall back and closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and looked back at him with a blissful smile on her face. "You should really do that more often."

At her praise, he grinned and slid closer to kiss her. She tasted herself on him as his lips parted and his tongue met hers, and found she didn't mind at all. His erection had gone somewhat soft, as she reached down in preparation to give him an amazing a treatment as she had just been given, but his hips jerked in her direction and he groaned softly at her touch. "You like that?" She murmured in his ear, nipping at his earlobe.

"Bloody love it," he growled back, his breath hitching as she pushed his boxers over his hips and to the floor, then wrapped her fingers around his shaft and began stroking it. He was hard less than a minute later, and kissing her in a desperate, breathless passion all while moaning his appreciation.

She danced her fingers up along his abdomen and through his chest hair then brought them to her mouth, Killian grunting in disappointment that she had stopped. After making her fingers nice and slick, she wrapped her hand once again around his penis and was stroking it hard and fast. His hips moved with her and his forehead rested on her chest, his breaths coming in gasps and groans. She joined him when he began moving his fingers along the wet lips of her vagina, rubbing expertly at her clit with quick circles which had her melting in his fingers.

Some minutes later, Emma leaned up and told Killian to lean back on the bed. He obeyed with an excited grin and the second he did so, she leaned down, closing her mouth around his hard shaft and began bobbing up and down.

"God /damn/ Emma, you know how to please a man." He gasped, looking down at her. Unable to reply, she met his gaze and lifted her hand to lightly grasp his balls and pleasure them, causing him to toss his head back and moan. She continued to lick and rub at his cock until her neck grew tired and her clit was throbbing with want. She was done playing, she wanted him inside her - now.

So, lifting her head and looking up at him with a smile, Emma rose to her knees. "I'm done playing, I just desperately need to be fucked by you." She leaned over him and grinned wickedly.

He matched her grin, his eyebrows raising, "You'd have been a bloody fine pirate, lass." He sat up and crawled behind her, guiding her where he wanted her. Her time for leading was done; Killian was dominant now. On her hands and knees, she felt his hand grasp her hip and his hook lay across the small of her back, then the nearly orgasm-inducing action of him slipping inside of her. She groaned her approval and they quickly found a rhythm. He thrusted quickly and roughly, making her gasp with each thrust and it didn't take her long to be sent careening over the edge of her second explosive orgasm. She could hear him nearing his own, his groaning getting louder and the slap of his upper thighs hitting her ass as he slid all the way in, then nearly out, then quickly back in again over and over until he suddenly pulled out and came all over her back. The hot white liquid spurted all the way up to the base of her neck and dripped down between her legs which he quickly ducked down to lick up, leaving her with three more hickeys along her inner thighs, and her sensitive clit once again tingling.

When he was satisfied, he fell beside her and she joined him, quaking with exhaustion, exhilarated with lust, and both of them covered in sweat and other bodily fluids. She looked at Killian lying beside her, both of them exhausted, and she grinned and then started laughing. His eyes opened and he stared at her in confusion as she laughed so hard her head bumped his, then he joined her. She wasn't sure why she was laughing, just that she was so stupidly _happy_ , so happy that for a moment, she felt like a normal woman. Living with her boyfriend and son, away on a vacation on a ship, having the hottest sex, and not having to worry about magic or curses or interruptions.

"It just..." Emma began to explain, attempting to catch her breath. "It just all feels almost normal for once. _I_ feel almost normal, out here with you and not having to be on edge constantly about everything. We just had possibly the best sex I've ever had, and here I am laughing about it with my true love. God, I love you, Killian."

He grinned back at her, his gaze roaming all over her face until they landed on her eyes and he leaned closer until his forehead was against hers. "That was exactly my plan, Swan. To normalize everything."

"Your plan is definitely working, then," she laughed, tilting her chin up so she could kiss him. Pulling back a minute later, she suggested they clean up and then watch the stars come out on the upper decks. He agreed, but as she made to sit up, pulled her back down and kissed her thoroughly. It took them a few extra minutes to finally find a rag to clean up with, but soon Emma was finding herself some of her loosest and warmest clothing to dress in. The day had cooled off considerably as the sun slid below the horizon, and her muscles as well as the several marks Killian had given her were a bit sore.

The storm they had seen approaching earlier seemed to have dissipated, because when they walked up the stairs above decks, the only thing they saw was the fading sun and the beginning of stars twinkling overhead. It had gotten much cooler, as she'd expected, and tightened the blanket she had wrapped around her shoulders as a chilly sea breeze lifted her hair from her neck.

"What do you say we go up there?" Killian suggested, pointing to the highest point on the /Jolly Roger/: the crow’s nest. She followed his finger, surprised to see how high up it was.

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"Would I be offering if it wasn't, Swan?" He grinned and tilted his head slightly, lowering his arm and taking her hand. "A ship is only as dangerous as her captain and the sea beneath her hull."

At this, Emma grinned back. "So you mean "very dangerous", and "not dangerous right now"."

"Exactly," he laughed and lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles and winking before releasing it and leading the way up the rope ladder. She followed him after tying the blanket like a cape around her shoulders. The climb was surprisingly easy, the rope sturdier than she had expected, and the encouraging guidance from Killian keeping her calm. He reached for her hand once the he reached the top, and helped her up onto the small wooden platform. It was round and about five feet in diameter with a small fence-like structure about three feet tall surrounding the platform to keep those up there from falling off.

As well-crafted as it obviously was, it still felt precarious and unsteady. It swayed slightly beneath her feet and she crouched down onto her knees to untie the blanket from her neck and spread it out beneath them. It took a few minutes, but soon enough they were both wrapped up in the blanket and gazing at the sunset just as it began to dip below the horizon. She rested her head on his shoulder and his arm was around both of hers, and all that could be heard was the creak of wood and the faint splash of water. They stayed like that until it was completely dark and the stars shone bright and clear above them.

"It's so beautiful out here...." She sighed, finally breaking the comfortable silence.

"Indeed, but you would be surprised how many nights I cursed these stars for taking me places I never wanted to go but went anyways. It was my job to steal and fight - anything to get back at the king for what he did to Liam, and that took me to terrible places including Neverland - more than once. I was a bad man, Emma, and I regret many of my actions." The sudden disgust and pain written plainly on his face tugged at her heartstrings and she reached to comfort him with her touch. Her fingers grazed his stubbly chin and she met his eyes.

"But you've changed, Killian, you're a good man now, a man who loves me and is loved in return. You've become the hero, not the villain, and that means more than you know."

He stared back at her in anguish and she could see the indecision in his gaze. He was torn between agreeing with her, or living in the past and refusing to believe that he had changed. She moved her hand to the short hair at the nape of his neck, gently running her fingers through it and gave him an encouraging smile. "You've done so much good now, and all that stuff you did, that's in the past now. Let me forgive you, Killian, and believe me when I say that you are a good man. A wonderful man who deserves good things in his life."

"I have tried so hard to gain your trust, and now here you are asking me to trust you." He replied, voice unsteady and eyes shining with unshed tears. "Thank you for believing in me, Emma Swan,"

"You're welcome, Killian Jones," she smiled and leaned up to kiss him softly. She felt him lean into her and let his tears fall from his cheeks to hers. It was good for him to let his emotions out, good for him to cry now and again, so she let him. His tears fell steadily, but slowed quickly. He was already regaining his composure by the time she pulled away from the kiss and gave her a small smile.

She leaned back into him, leaning against him once again, a hand against his chest so she could feel his heartbeat and they were silent for another ten minutes or so. Their conversation picked up again when Killian asked a question she wasn't expecting.

"Just how _did_ you get your last name, Swan?"

She tensed in surprise and hesitated to answer, then he continued softly, "Your parents are Blanchard and Nolan slash Charming, and your son is Mills; but where did Swan come from?"

She leaned up from his chest and looked at him, then nodded and took a breath to speak, "Well, August came to me when I was a little girl when I was living on the streets. I'd just run away from a crappy group home and was living under a bridge with one thing - a book of fairy tales, it's ironic now that I look back on it; and was sitting by the fire and got to my least favorite story: The Ugly Duckling. I ripped out the pages, so angry with it for showing me that even though the duckling had been a swan all along, nobody ever noticed it. I was angry because that's who I thought I was. I was just the girl that nobody wanted, the ugly duckling. Then, just as I was about to throw it in the fire, he takes the story away from me and asks me why I'm about to throw it away. It was August just looking out for me. He told me something that changed my life that night.

"He showed me that the story of the Ugly Duckling wasn't about the duck-turned-swan that was never noticed, but that it was about belief. That if we believe in something strong enough, we can change our fate. And so, I believed that I would change my own fate, and taking the last name Swan helped me believe that I could be whatever I wanted, _whoever_ I wanted, if I just believed in it hard enough. The duckling transformed into a swan, just like I wanted to transform into something beautiful, something worth wanting and loving, and that story and August's words helped me see that."

When she finished speaking, she watched Killian's expression closely for his reaction. She'd never told anyone her story before and it felt odd but comforting to tell him something she'd never told anyone else. She knew that, if she asked, he would never tell anyone else, so she felt safe telling him the story of what made her name hers.

After a few long moments of silence, he smiled slightly and looked out to the dark rolling sea, "It all goes back to August, or Pinocchio, I suppose is also his name. Why does he have such a close connection with you? He has been around you since you were a small lass, I wonder why." It was simple contemplation, fleeting curiosity for Killian; but it went deeper than that for Emma. She'd been wondering the same thing for so many years, wondering what August meant when he told her that he made a vow to protect her, to watch over her. How had he come to the non-magical world from the Enchanted Forest seemingly around the same time as she was thrust out as a baby?

She shrugged, eyes roaming over the sky, searching for a constellation she recognized while she figured out a response to Killian's question. In the end she said, "I don't know. I've been wondering the same thing. I only just figured out it was him who was talking to me under that bridge, and I had to go another realm to figure it out." She chuckled and shook her head, dropping her gaze to the man now watching her closely.

"Let's hope you don't have to go yet another realm to figure something else out," he joked quietly. She laughed, relieved he wasn't taking it too seriously. She pulled the blanket higher up on her shoulder and cuddled closer to him as a stiff, cold breeze began to blow. It was cold enough now to almost be uncomfortable, and especially now that she realized how tired she was getting as the night drew on.

Emma yawned a few minutes later and Killian soon caught on, asking her if she was ready to head back inside. She nodded and lifted her head, yawning again. "Yeah, I'm ready," they both stood on their knees and he offered to carry the blanket down so that she could climb down easier. It was more challenging to climb down with it being dark and quite a bit windier, and she was glad he was carrying the blanket.

Once her feet landed back on a solid deck, she was met with arms and a blanket enveloping her and picking her up off her feet, a playful growl coming from the man behind the attack. She let out a startled yelp and reached to hold onto him.

"Don't worry, love, I've got you," Killian reassured, his voice near her ear. He carried her down the steps and towards his quarters, setting her gently down on the bed still wrapped up like a burrito in their blanket. He smiled at her and she smiled back, rolling over to he could join her, and unwrapped herself from the blanket. She sat up and undressed, then slid under the covers and wrapped her arms around him as he also undressed and got into bed.

"Goodnight, love," he whispered, pulling her towards and angling his body so they fit perfectly together. It was his favorite way to sleep, spooning together like that, and Emma wasn't about to complain.

"Goodnight, I love you." She whispered back, closing her eyes and listening to the sound of her breath and his, the creak of the wood, the gentle slap of water against the hull, and fell asleep warm and content.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

It was the smell of coffee and pancakes that roused her the next morning, and she rolled over to see Killian humming over the stove top flipping reheated pancakes. The second thing she noticed was the way he was swaying on his feet and the way she couldn't seem to lay still. A quick glance out the window told her her suspicion of the storm rolling back in was correct.  
-clean version end-

"Looks like the storm we almost got last night decided to come back after all," she commented, sitting up cross legged on the bed wrapped in a sheet. Emma laughed at the way he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice and almost dropped the spatula he was holding as he spun around to look at her.

"I wasn't expecting you to wake so soon, but yes, you're right. The sea is rough right now, and I wouldn't advise going above decks unless I'm with you. Which, regrettably, I might need your help fairly soon." Recovering from his surprise, he slid the last of yesterday's pancakes off the griddle where they were reheating and onto a plate, then reached for a mug of coffee and handed it to her. She was comforted by how wonderfully domestic it all felt. Her boyfriend waking before her to make breakfast and coffee on a lazy Sunday morning, letting her wake slowly and then handing her a steaming mug while the rain pours down outside, assuring them they don't need to leave the house. Or, in this case, the ship.

"Thanks," she murmured, taking a sip of coffee and looking over the rim of her mug at her handsomely disheveled man coming to sit next to her. "I hope you know," she said, lowering her mug down to her lap and lifting a hand to push her hair out of her face in one swift motion, "That you may have made me nearly incapable of walking today. If I waddle down the plank to greet my parents because we've been up to so many enjoyable but strenuous activities, I'm blaming you and the fact that it's been a while since I spent any length of time on a ship." Her gaze roamed the length of her inner thighs, counting the marks Killian had left on her from last night. She wasn't complaining, but she knew she would notice her muscle stiffness when she got up.

His laughter was a crisp clear bark and he smirked at her, "You know she won't buy that, but we can try, love. Besides, we know we did it right if neither of us can walk properly by the end of this trip."

Emma shook her head and laughed, "I love your enthusiasm, but I think we should have a little bit of self-control, right?"

"When it comes to you, Emma, I only have self-control if you ask me to," he replied in all seriousness, but then grinned, "Of course we should, I doubt we want a new child to take care of."

"No, we don't," she agreed, taking another sip of deliciously hot coffee then balancing it as the ship rocked alarmingly. The sound of rain lashing the window and the wood creaking made it sound like the storm was bigger than the small storm she'd been expecting. "Are you sure we don't need to be up there doing. . . . something to keep the ship upright?" She asked after she nearly spilled her coffee from another sideways jolt.

He tiled his head sideways slightly, listening to the sound of the wind and slap of the sea, then looked back at her. "She won't tip over, I can assure you that, but we might want to make sure we don't drift too far away. You'll want to get dressed, the rain will be cold." Killian stood up off the bed and crouched down to find some of his own proper clothing, and she joined him after draining her cup of coffee so it wouldn't spill while she was gone, then joined him in searching for clothes.

Once dressed, she in jeans and several layers of shirts and a jacket, and him in his usual leather pants and long leather coat attire, she followed him up the steps to the upper deck. The /Jolly Roger/ swayed again and Emma staggered sideways as she stepped up into the heavily falling rain. She hung onto the railing, flinching as the cold sea sprayed her, watching Killian run across the slippery deck to pull up the anchor. She wished she could help and was just about to call out to ask if she could, when he called for her to take the wheel to hold the rudder steady.

She nodded and made her way across the deck and up a few steps to grab the wheels handles. It was spinning wildly and slippery, so it took her a few tries to grab onto it. Grunting, she finally held it still, looking over her shoulder at Killian who was hauling the anchor up back onto the ship.

With a clatter, the anchor fell to the deck just as a wave rose to the side of the ship, rocking them terrifyingly far over. "Killian!" Emma yelled, sliding sideways and losing her grip on the wheel, which spun and hit her wrist hard enough to bruise.

"Hold onto something, Swan! I've got the wheel!" Killian said, suddenly beside her, grabbing the wheel with steady hand and hook.

She nodded, pushing her soaked hair out of her face and staggering to the nearest wooden mast to hold onto. The sea swelled again, but this time they tilted into it and steadied out sooner. The captain of his vessel was doing what he did best: keeping him and his ship upright. It was best that she stayed out of the way before she got hurt - again. She watched him as he steered expertly through the rough waves, ignoring the wind and rain lashing at his face.

The /Jolly Roger/ lurched violently again and this time, Emma's fingers slipped from the mast and she went stumbling across the deck towards the railing of the ship. Yelling out something intelligible in fear, she reached for the railing before she pitched over the edge.

"Emma!" She heard Killian yell, his tone pitched with terror.

"I'm okay!" She called, trembling arms clutching the wood, water dripping from her nose and her chin as she watched Killian regain control of the ship.

The swells of the sea continued mercilessly for another half hour until finally abating. The winds calmed and the rain slowed, letting rays of late morning sun poke through the heavy clouds. Finally she could stand up and take a breath without inhaling water or falling over. “Well,” She said, looking up at Killian who too was wiping the sea spray out of his eyes. “That was a worse storm than I thought it was going to be.” 

“Aye, I should have told you to stay below decks, that was a dangerous one.” He looked worried, as if he’d hurt her. 

“Killian, a little bit of rain isn’t going to hurt me.” She brushed his worry off, not concerned with the bruise forming on her left wrist. It stung, but was nothing to worry about. “Now that the water seems to have calmed down, should we put the anchor down again and go finish our breakfast?” 

He nodded, looking relieved. “You go and change into something dry and warm; I’ll meet you down there soon.”

“Okay,” She smiled, nodding, then turned and headed back down the steps. They were soaked from the rain spilling down them, but once she got into the hallway towards Killian’s quarters, nothing else was wet except for her. Shivering, she hurried to find some dry clothes while shedding her wet ones. “I should probably find a towel first. . . “ She muttered to herself, bare down to her panties and bra. Looking around, she found her towel that had been used yesterday after swimming and grabbed that, drying herself off. She stripped completely naked while towel drying, and found some new underwear and a comfortable pair of sweatpants and loose shirt. By the time Killian joined her, she was dressed and making herself another cup of coffee. 

“A hot cup of coffee with a splash or two of rum sounds perfect right about now,” He said, beginning to shed his wet clothing and adding to her pile of soaked clothes. 

“What, you think I’m going to just make you some because I’m making myself some?” Emma laughed lightly, silently agreeing with him that adding a bit of rum to her coffee would perfect it. 

“We’ve just braved a nasty storm this morning, and I kept this bloody ship upright, don’t I deserve a cup of coffee?” 

“Alright, alright, since you’re twisting my arm. . . “ She teased, turning back around to pour him a cup, then reaching for the rum to add to both of the mugs. Screwing the lid off and splashing a bit into her mug, then his, then setting it down and picking up their coffee, she turned and set his down on the table and took a sip of hers. It was perfect, the cream balancing out the sharpness of the rum, and the warmth of the drink going straight to her core, warming her up. She curled up on the bed, settling a blanket over her crossed legs and watched silently as Killian finished getting dressed. 

He too, opted for something warm and comfortable, changing into a pair of dark gray sweatpants and a sweater. It was the loosest clothing she’d ever seen on him, and wanted very much to hug him. She lifted the blanket, offering a space beside her for him to join her after he grabbed his coffee, smiling when he slid next to her and wrapped his free arm around her waist to pull her closer. His brace-free wrist pressed against her hip and she leaned into him, tapping her mug to his. “I think we deserve this.” She stated before taking a sip. 

“We always deserve a little spiked coffee, love.” He winked, taking a drink. 

“No, I mean we deserve this mini vacation, just the two of us.” She set her mug in her lap and lifted her right hand to take his, closing her fingers around his. 

“Of course we do. Storybrooke is too damn busy and small to let us take a break for a couple of days.” He agreed, sighing and tightening his hand on hers. His rings dug lightly into her skin and she looked down at them. 

“What’s the story behind all of these rings, again?” She asked curiously, suddenly reminded how when she was the Dark One, he told her what each of his rings meant to him. She was startled to remember now, that she didn’t recall any of them. 

“Hm?” Killian looked down at their entwined fingers. “Swan, they’re not happy tales, but they’re reminders that all sins can be forgiven if someone loves you. How I never want to go back to being who I used to be, because that was before you showed me what love actually felt like.”

“I know,” She looked up at him, watching his brow furrow and jaw clench in such a familiar way. “That’s why I want to hear them. They’re not happy, but they are a part of you. A part of you that I want to know.”

His gaze met and held hers for a few seconds, then he lifted his hand from hers and showed her his ring finger. “This belonged to a man named Barnaby, who called me one-hand Jones. I killed him in front of his wife, took his ring.” He paused, sounding guilty, then swallowed and continued. “This one:” he lifted his pointer finger, “Edgar, fine sailor. I caught him drinking the captain’s wine, I drowned him.”

“What about the one you gave me in Camelot?” Emma asked quietly.

“That’s the saddest story of all, love. It belonged to a better man than I, my brother, Liam. When he died, I took his ring as the only thing that could keep me close to him.” His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat and she leaned up to comfort him, pressing her nose into the crook of his neck and taking his hand again, squeezing tightly. 

She felt him relax into her, ever so slightly, and sigh. Together they sat there, drinks forgotten for the moment, and leaned into each other for support. They both had troubled and dark pasts, but together they could work through them and build each other up to be the best versions of themselves. 

Only after a minute or so had passed, did Emma press a gentle kiss to his collarbone and lean away to look at him. “Did I ever tell you about the time I got told what home really was?” 

“No, love, I don’t think you have.” His voice was soft, vulnerable. She’d made him bring up his past and was now regretting that decision. Hoping to gain forgiveness, she continued. 

“I’ll start with some backstory. I had just met Neal and we were on the run, living in the Bug and snatching showers in recently vacated hotel rooms. There was one night in Portland Oregon when Neal told me that he owed me a drink. I was expecting a bar or something, but he took me to an amusement park and broke in. I was skeptical, but when we sat down on the swing ride and I asked him what his story was, he told me something I’ll never forget. 

“He said that that’s how you know you really got a home, when you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it.” She smiled slightly, a pang of longing hitting her fiercely in the stomach. “I miss Neal, but I know that I’ve found my home in you, Killian. And I’ve found it in Henry. I was always this lost girl, wanting to know why her parents abandoned her, and thinking she’d never find anyone who loved her; but that girl was wrong. You’re my home, Henry is my home, and I just miss it when I leave it. Which, is why I’m never going to leave it.” 

“My home, I think, was Liam.” Killian ventured quietly, his blue gaze shining with unshed tears. “Then I lost him and I had nothing except my vengeance and lust for revenge. That is, until I met you. You’re my home too, Emma. I love you.” 

“I love you, too. I’m sorry for making you bring up your past,” 

“Don’t be, love, it’s alright. My past is exactly that: my past, and what matters right now is us and what we’re doing in this moment.” He blinked the tears out of his eyes and cleared his throat, squeezing her hand tightly before letting go and taking his mug of coffee once again. “Let’s finish our drinks and not move from this bed for a few hours, how does that plan sound?” 

Emma sniffled, smiled, and raised her mug to his, “Sounds like a good one.” She took a drink of her coffee, then another, and another, and all too soon their warm, rum-spiked drinks were gone and she was feeling warm and cozy, only saddened by the realization that in a few hours, they were going to have to head back to Storybrooke and her family and everything that came with it. 

After setting her empty mug down on the table, she laid back on the bed, pulling Killian with her. She wrapped her arms around him and mumbled into his chest. 

“Didn’t catch that, love,” 

“We only have a few more hours of this, Killian, and I don’t want to leave.” She repeated, louder this time. 

“We’ve still got the rest of this day, we don’t have to be back in port until sundown. Let’s not talk about ending this trip yet, aye? We’ve got plenty of time.”

She had to admit he was right. It was probably only around eleven thirty at the latest, and sunset was many hours away. “Well what should we do with all of this time, then?” She asked, snuggling herself closer to him, enjoying the fact that they both had very warm, soft clothing on, and pressing her face into his sweater. 

“I think we should lie here in these ridiculously warm clothes until we get too hot, and then take those off and lie together without these clothes on, in perhaps a more . . . strenuous fashion.” 

She smiled at his implications, able to practically see the wiggle of his eyebrows in the lilt of his voice at what he was suggesting. “Mmmm, that’s a great plan.” She agreed, looking forward to one more round of allowing themselves to be as loud and intense as they pleased without interruptions. But first, she was going to thoroughly enjoy napping comfortably against the man she loved. 

As they got comfortable, Emma thought herself unable to relax any further into her boyfriend. Until he began gently kneading her back and shoulders with gentle pressure, helping her relax in places she didn’t know weren’t relaxed. She mumbled something akin to, “That feels good, don’t stop,” before drifting off easily into a dreamless sleep. She was oblivious to everything for the next few hours until, unprompted, she woke feeling much warmer and much more rejuvenated than she had earlier that morning. Sitting up, she stretched out her arms and realized how loose and relaxed her shoulders and back felt, and silently thanked Killian for giving her a massage. Looking down at him now, she smiled at his sleeping form. He must have been just as tired as her after that grueling storm, and she was glad he was able to nap. 

She swung her legs out of bed a few moments later, realizing suddenly how badly she needed to pee. The gentle rocking of the ship beneath her feet was nearly natural to walk on now, and she grinned thinking about how she was going to stumble all over the place when walking on solid land for the first time in days. Chuckling softly to herself, she used the restroom then rejoined Killian in bed. As she settled back beside him, he rolled over and mumbled something incoherent while blinking his eyes open. 

"I think you should repeat that." she whispered, smiling and nudging her nose against his. 

"Morning, Swan, sleep well?" He repeated, returning her lazy smile. 

"I hardly think it's morning, Killian, but I did sleep well thank you." She found herself laughing softly at his barely awake words, endeared by the way he pulled her in for a soft kiss by tugging at the front of her sweater with his hand and his hook pushing at her lower back. She decided she liked post-nap Killian, all sleepy and cuddly. Of course, he would be cuddly all the time if she let him, this trip was proof of that; but right now, she was particularly enjoying it. 

They lay there cuddled together for several more comfortable minutes, Emma finding herself drowsing lightly in the warm bed and arms of her true love, until Killian decided to sit up and take his sweater off. She too, sat up, and grinned knowingly at him. “Getting too warm?” 

“Aye, love,” He nodded while tossing the sweater onto the floor to be picked up later. He stretched luxuriously, arms over his head and back arched, then sighed and asked, “What time is it? For how long did we sleep?” 

Emma looked around the cabin for a clock, only to realize that of course the Jolly Roger wouldn’t have a clock. “Umm. . . “ She trailed off, now looking out the window to see if she could judge the time of day by the sun the way Killian did, and was surprised to see the sun already nearly setting. Raising her eyebrows, she looked back at Killian who was now rubbing his eyes. “It must be around four or five, I’m guessing.” 

He stopped rubbing his eyes and looked at her in surprise, “Already?”

She smiled and nodded, “Yeah, I think we were more tired than we thought.” She leaned into him, encircling her arms around his warm torso, “But that’s okay, I’ll take an extra-long nap with you any day.”  
Looking down at her, Killian smiled. “Me too, Swan.” He gently pushed her chin upwards with his hook and kissed her sweetly, then said softly, “I suppose our trip is coming to an end, then. It’s nearly time to turn this ship around and head home.” 

She made a soft sound of disappointment, looking up at him with a slight frown, “This weekend was incredible, I don’t want it to end.” 

“Nor do I, love,” He agreed, “But we must get back to what we do best – defeating the evil that comes to try and bring us down. It’s what makes you you, is it not?”

“You’re right, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to spend all the time I can alone with you.” Emma knew that it was time to get back to work, that weekends like these couldn’t last forever, but still clung to the wish that they would. She sighed softly, closing her eyes briefly and relaxing into Killian’s chest. Finding herself nearly dozing off again, she startled awake when she felt him shift, gently tugging on her arm with his hand. 

“It’s difficult to go anywhere with your arms locked around me like this, Swan.” He chuckled quietly. 

She groaned dramatically, sitting upright and untangling herself from him. Yawning, she said, “Alright, alright, I guess I’ll let you go. I’ll start tidying up down here, and you go do whatever it is you need to do above deck to bring us home. Sound good?”

He nodded, leaning in to kiss her cheek gently before standing from the bed to get properly dressed. She joined him, slipping out of her comfortable sweatpants and sweater and into jeans and tank top layered under a long-sleeve shirt. Without speaking, they began doing their respective tasks to prepare the ship to go back home, Emma packing up her clothes back into the suitcase she’d brought them in, while Killian moved around above decks, adjusting the rigging and sails. 

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

They strolled down the gang plank and onto the dock an hour or so later, hand in hand. Her family was waiting for her and Killian with expectant smiles. Emma smiled at her parents and Henry as they drew closer, and released his hand for a moment so she could hug her mother. 

When they pulled apart and Killian's fingers found hers loosely and comfortably again, Snow remarked in her motherly and proud way, "You look happy..." Her gaze flickered between her and the man next to her, no doubt noticing the quite obvious hickeys on her neck and thankfully ignoring them; and a soft, warm blush heated her cheeks. "You both do," 

"Happy and relaxed," David spoke up, settling a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Exactly as you'd planned and I had hoped. Now, hopefully, we can get back to business without any more of those visions."

Simply the mention of her visions made her stomach turn over, but Emma ignored it and looked up at Killian instead while nodding slightly and leaning into him. "I'm glad we went." Her gaze traveled back to her parents, "Killian was right, there's nothing more comforting or relaxing than the sea." 

"I'm glad you went, Mom," Henry said, smiling at her. 

"Me too kid, me too," 

All went silent for a few moments and she let her head droop to Killian's shoulder, feeling completely comfortable about showing more of her affection for him in public. He'd torn down her walls and reminded her that she didn't have to guard herself around him, so it was about time she showed him her appreciation. She wasn't just the Savior, she was the proud true love of Killian Jones, the adoring mother of Henry, and most of all, she was Emma Swan. 

The peacefulness of their weekend evaporated quickly a few moments later when her father spoke up again. "We're glad you're back Emma, and in more ways than one. There's something going on at Zelena's house that's involving Archie, Gold, and the Evil Queen. I think we should go check it out - and quickly." 

She lifted her head from his shoulder and nodded, her blush gone but a small smile still remaining. She'd never forget the weekend she just had, and hoped to have many more just like it. "The Dark One and the Evil Queen working together again? That can't be good; let’s go." David nodded and Henry, Mary Margaret, and her father turned around and began walking away. She glanced up at Killian for a brief second before following them, just enough time to catch a smile dancing on his lips. "Ready to be back in business? Doing hero things with the Savior?"

"After the weekend we just had? I'm ready for anything, love," he replied, squeezing her hand. 

Emma smiled and nodded, "Good, because so am I." 

The words she spoke were the honest truth, she realized as they followed her family down the street and away from the docks. She /was/ ready to take on the responsibility of being the Savior again, taking down anyone that tries to hurt her family or friends - while also tackling her own demons in the process. She would defeat that figure in the cloak, no matter what. 

She would never give up, not if it meant she could have the life she deserved and wanted with her true love, and son. That was worth fighting for, so fight she would.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this was a ridiculously long one-shot, but thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you thought in the comments? I'd appreciate it!


End file.
